bobjengr, you are correct that water is probably the most precious commodity. What's interesting is that its monetary value is so disconnected from its worth. I'm not talking about third-world needs, but rather places such as the Great Lakes basin where there are water emergencies simply because of where people have chosen to expand to.

Beth, great article. QUESTION: What's the most precious commodity on Earth today. Take a look.

GOLD-- $ 1614.00 per ounce

SILVER-- $28.00 per ounce

PLATINUM--$ 1472.00 per ounce

PALLADIUM--$ 606.00 per ounce

OIL-- $96.21 per barrel

DIAMOND—Variable

RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL—Variable

RARE EARTH MATERIALS-- Variable

In my opinion it's the substance you mentioned in your post-- WATER. I read another fascinating article recently that basically indicates that in several countries our water table is quickly being reduced due to irrigation needed by farms. Our desert South West is included as a problematic area. I think the work done by the Gates' foundation is extremely important. I am somewhat surprised at the amount of money they allocated for the work but in today's economy nothing is reall cheap. Really appreciate you bringing this to light.

The biggest problem with toilets is the use of water which is getting scarce, with costly infrastructure (piping), and disposal of the wastewater/ excrement. I heard of the toilet using vacuum to flush (similar to those in airplanes). The vacuum can be generated with a hand-powered pump.

- No water is used

- The waste is not diluted: the volume of waste is much reduced

- the toilet can be installed anywhere without the need for extra infrastructure

The challenge is to decompose the waste through an anaeorobic process (without oxygen). Alternatively an evacuation service can transfer the waste to a central location where the waste is processed. If possible methane from the excrement can be used for generating electricity.

Basically a protected compost pile for excriment layered with straw or sawdustfor a year, then closed for a year to make sure no pathogens get out, or 2 years if you're squeemish, then used on the garden or whatever. Didn't need a grant or special materials or Bill Gates for this. Of course no one really makes any money off it either so it doesn't get much attention. jerry

@Dave and Rob- All good comments! I wasn't speaking to population density, but rather "carrying capacity"...the ability of the land and infrastructure to support a population density. For example we have a very high population density here in So Cal, made possible by modern infrastructure. Remove the water supply, agriculture, distribution, and utilities and then see how many can subsist in our desert after 2-3 years. Most of Sub-Sahara Africa is beyond carrying capacity as evidenced by the famines, epidemics, and wars that plauge the area.

Saving 1.5 million lives is, of course, a fantasitic goal....but my previously mentioned friend has seen situations where the saved infants die from worse causes later in childhood or general suffering and poverty increase because the population becomes even more unsustainable. I hope the families, villages, and countries have a plan to feed and educate 1.5 million more people.

Again, this sounds incredibly harsh but my friend has really opened up my eyes to many well-meaning but ill-fated attempts at "aid" from developed countries. Of course there have been success stories too, such as the Rwanda coffee bike project and the Nestle boycott.

@kenish: You're definitely right about the importance of a holistic view. However, I think the concern about overpopulation is misplaced. Belgium and the Netherlands have higher population densities than El Salvador, yet no one ever says that Belgium or the Netherlands are overpopulated. And many of the poorest African nations have lower population densities than the U.S. Preventing the deaths of 1.5 million children per year would be a good thing.

Designs that work within different realities, cultures, and resources ties into the "Societal Engineering" curriculum at Boston University, which was covered in a recent DN article. My son is a ME student there and I'm very impressed with their program. A recent group of students took a diagnostic unit they designed to Africa and discovered there are places where AA batteries are not available. Very invaluable experience for new engineers.

Not to sound harsh or cynical, but better sanitation leads to a larger population, further straining the carrying capacity of the land and increasing the vulnerability to disruptions in water, weather, harvests, etc. A friend who has done charity work in Africa has seen many "point solutions" actually make matters worse because a holisitic view was lacking.

Too bad that Bill couldn't have invested a couple of shekels into his company to make WINDOWS the SEAMLESS operating system that it COULD HAVE BEEN, INSTEAD of the SERIOUSLY FLAWED program that it is, especially considering that it will be celebrating its 30th anniversary in the near future!!!!

Scott, I was thinking of less direct, more complicated modern energy harvesting methods. But you're totally right. The dung of animals that eat a diet full of grass and other fibrous plants has been burnt as fuel all over the world for thousands of years. You don't even have to be a farmer: Plains Indians burnt buffalo dung for that purpose.

Virtual Reality (VR) headsets are getting ready to explode onto the market and it appears all the heavy tech companies are trying to out-develop one another with better features than their competition. Fledgling start-up Vrvana has joined the fray.

A Tokyo company, Miraisens Inc., has unveiled a device that allows users to move virtual 3D objects around and "feel" them via a vibration sensor. The device has many applications within the gaming, medical, and 3D-printing industries.

While every company might have their own solution for PLM, Aras Innovator 10 intends to make PLM easier for all company sizes through its customization. The program is also not resource intensive, which allows it to be appropriated for any use. Some have even linked it to the Raspberry Pi.

solidThinking updated its Inspire program with a multitude of features to expedite the conception and prototype process. The latest version lets users blend design with engineering and manufacturing constraints to produce the cheapest, most efficient design before production.

Focus on Fundamentals consists of 45-minute on-line classes that cover a host of technologies. You learn without leaving the comfort of your desk. All classes are taught by subject-matter experts and all are archived. So if you can't attend live, attend at your convenience.